Cloned Nigerian Anchor

Author: Chike Ozohili

LP decries delay in conduct of LGA election in Bayelsa

Labour Party has vowed to stage a peaceful protest over Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa’s alleged outright refusal to conduct local government elections.

The Factional National Chairman of the party Lamidi Apapa, made this known in a statement in Abuja.

Apapa urged the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BYSIEC) to do the needful

“If BYSIEC fails to issue a notice to commence the process of local government elections before month end, the party would resort to civil actions aimed at pressuring the governor to do the needful.

“The civil action would be peaceful, but resolute, in our pursuit of electoral justice and democratic representation for the people of Bayelsa State,” he said.

Apapa said that the governor would not deny the importance and significance of the grassroots to the development of a state, as local government areas were created to help establish, nurture sustain democracy and democratic political culture.

He said that as such, LGAs needed to be given powers to function effectively, to stabilise and strengthen the political system.

He further said that the importance of local government in ensuring democratic representation for the people at the grassroots level could not be over-emphasised.

“The people of Bayelsa State, particularly those at the grassroots deserve elected officials who can effectively advocate their needs and drive development initiatives.

“We are concerned that funds intended for local governments in Bayelsa State are being withheld by the state government, instead of being allocated to democratically elected local government officials

“We view the development as a deliberate neglect of the local area, contradicting the governor’s claims of pursuing a prosperous administration,” he said.

According to Apapa, Labour Party strongly condemned the utilisation of civil servants to administer local government affairs describing it as an unconventional and backward approach.

He said that the delay in conducting the local council election may be driven by the governor’s political agenda, contrary to his earlier statements of prioritising the people’s development over political maneuvers.

He said that the attention of the party had also been drawn to the slow progress of the ongoing case in Sagbama High Court, Yenagoa, aimed at compelling the governor to conduct elections.

Apapa also expressed concerns about alleged potential interference with the judicial process.

He, therefore, urged the governor to respect the independence of the judiciary, which played a crucial role in his assumption of office.

06/23/2023
Plateau APC kicks against Mutfwang’s N15bn loan request

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau has kicked against Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s request to the State House of Assembly for an approval to acquire a N15 billion loan.

Mutfwang’s communication was read by the assembly Speaker, Moses Sule, during Thursday’s plenary, which was the first sitting of the 10th Assembly.

Mutfwang explained that the loan would be used to clear backlog of civil servants salary arrears and acquire farm inputs for farmers.

The approval was granted by the lawmakers at the plenary.

But the APC in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr Sylvanus Namang, on Friday, said that as a critical stakeholder in the Plateau project, they seriously objected to the loan because the governor did not follow due process.

Namang said that PDP’s two-third majority in the Plateau State House of Assembly was not a licence for recklessness and arbitrariness which if left unchecked, Plateau would be worse for more turbulent days ahead.

According to him, the reasons advanced for the loan were as unconvincing as they were not tenable.

“Government is a continuum and the past dispensation had made adequate budgetary provisions for payment of workers’ salaries and very essential products like fertilisers, given the fact that Plateau was largely an agrarian state.

“This bogus N15 billion loan approval is particularly more worrisome because for a loan to be collected, certain steps are clearly spelt out in the Plateau State Debt Management Law.

“The steps must be duly and diligently followed before any financial institution, local or foreign can consider.

“First, the State Debt Management Advisory Committee must sit to discuss the purpose and necessity of the loan for the state.

“Furthermore, Plateau cannot operate as if we are under a military junta where things are done by fiat.

“For a serious issue as loan acquisition of this magnitude, the State Executive Council must approve such loan before forwarding to the House of Assembly for deliberation,” he pointed out.

He further said that the council’s approval must be transmitted to the House of Assembly for their discussion and approval which cannot be passed as was done at its very first formal sitting as members of the 10th House of Assembly.

He added that mandatorily, such approvals by the State Executive Council and the House of Assembly would then be forwarded to ministry of finance and debt management department to further process.

Namang stated that to the best of their knowledge, there was no state executive council as what is on ground is the governor, his deputy and the attorney general and that the debt advisory committee was also not constituted.

06/23/2023
Electricity supply by DisCos declines in Q1 2023 – NBS

Revenue collected by Distribution Companies (DISCOs) in the first quarter of 2023 was N247.33 billion from N232.32 billion collected in the fourth quarter of 2022.

On a year-on-year basis, revenue generated in the first quarter rose by 20.81 per cent from N204.74 billion recorded in Q1 2022.

In it’s Electricity Report Q1 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), noted that despite the increase in revenue, electricity supply by DisCos to Nigerians declined by 1.74 per cent.

NBS stated: “However, on a year-on-year basis, electricity supply declined by 1.74% compared to 5,956 (Gwh) reported in Q1 2022.”

The report stated that total customer numbers in Q1 2023 stood at 11.27 million from 11.06 million in Q4 2022, showing an increase of 1.89%.

“On a year-on-year basis, customer numbers in Q1 2023 rose by 5.99% from 10.63 million reported in Q1 2022.

“Similarly, metered customers stood at 5.31 million in Q1 2023, indicating a growth of 3.61% from 5.13 million recorded in the preceding quarter.

“On a year-on-year basis, this grew by 10.86% from the figure reported in Q1 2022 which was 4.79 million. In addition, estimated customers during the quarter were 5.96 million in Q1 2023, higher by 0.40% from 5.93 million in Q4 2022.

“On a year-on-year basis, estimated customers increased by 1.99% in Q1 2023 from 5.84 million in Q1 2022,” the report stated.

06/23/2023
NLC warns against planned electricity tariff hike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that the plan to increase electricity tariff by July 1 would further compound the current hardship of ordinary Nigerians.

If implemented, it would be a 40 per cent increase.

In a statement the NLC called on the authorities to shelve the planned hike saying it was anti-people and insensitive.

NLC had on June 3 indicated its intention to call out workers for a strike beginning from Wednesday, June 7 in protest against the removal of subsidy and subsequent hike in fuel price.

However, the federal government had procured an injunction from the NIC restraining NLC from proceeding with the proposed nationwide strike.

Subsequently, the NLC had called off the strike after meeting with a federal government’s team on Monday.

However, in a communique issued at the end of an emergency of its National Executive Council (NEC) on Tuesday in Abuja, the NLC accused the NIC of favouring the Federal Government against the interest of the masses and workers in the country.

General Secretary of the Congress jointly signed the communique.

It said that the NEC meeting was called to discuss the outcome of the dialogue between the NLC and the Federal Government on the petroleum product price hike.

The NLC said NEC in session resolved that there was need to show government that it was important to comply with laid down laws and court rulings.

“Especially as it concerns obedience to the rulings of the Courts and their brazen disregard to the 2023 Appropriation Act.

“To therefore support and accept the decision of the leadership of Congress to suspend the proposed strike action in compliance with the flawed rulings of the NIC.

“Also to allow negotiations to flow freely and enable final agreement during or after the 19th June, 2023, negotiation round with the federal government.

“To however register in strongest terms its disgust and disapproval with the ruling of the NIC for its continuous weaponisation of the instrument of Exparte injunction in favour of the government.

It’s against the interests of Nigerian workers in defiance of the position of the Supreme Court on the use of this instrument,” it said.

Congress further stated that all Affiliates and State Councils of Congress are hereby directed to suspend further action and mobilisation until the outcome of the final negotiations.

06/23/2023
Emerging, developing economies need $2trn in climate financing – IEA

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said there is desperate need for a seven fold increase in clean energy financing in emerging and developing economies in the next 10 years if global warming is to be capped at tolerable levels.

According to the IEA, financing needs to move from its present $260 billion to nearly $2 trillion in order keep temperatures from rising to catastrophic levels, annual investments in non-fossil fuel energy in emerging and developing economies.

“Financing clean energy in the emerging and developing world is the fault line of reaching international climate goals,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said.

The report released on the eve of the two-day Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris, seeks to galvanise support for revamping the mid-20th century architecture governing financial flows from rich to developing nations.

G20 nations are historically responsible for 80 percent of global carbon emissions, which are wreaking havoc on the earth’s climate.

According to Amnesty International’s secretary general, Agnès Callamard, “Many vulnerable, lower-income states have been overwhelmed by economic shocks, debts they cannot pay, and the effects of climate change – a crisis to which they contributed very little, but which is costing people in these countries dearly,”

“These are unprecedented challenges that require a rethink of how the world’s financial architecture is set up,”

Speeding the transition from dirty to clean energy and helping emerging and developing economies cope with and prepare for devastating climate impacts are high on the summit agenda.

Nearly 800 million people lack electricity and 2.4 billion have no access to clean cooking fuels, most of whom reside in poor and emerging countries.

Under current policy trends, one-third of the rise in energy use in these nations over the next decade will be met by burning fossil fuels, the main driver of global warming, the IEA warned.

According to Birol, investments in clean energy are increasing, but “the bad news is that more than 90 percent of that increase in clean energy since the Paris Agreement in 2015 comes from advanced economies and China.”

To unlock the potential for clean energy in emerging and developing economies, the report emphasized the need for greater international technical, regulatory and financial support.

Based on the IEA’s report, two-thirds of the financing for clean energy projects in emerging and developing economies excluding China “will need to come from the private sector” because public sector investments are “insufficient to deliver universal access to energy and tackle climate change”.

According to the IEA report, there is potential for rapidly ramping up renewable energy. Solar power is now the cheapest source of electricity generation across almost the entire world.

At least 40 percent of the global solar radiation reaching the planet lands on sub-Saharan Africa, and yet nearly 10 times more solar capacity was installed in China last year than across the entire African continent.

06/22/2023
VAT: FIRS partners traders on remittances from informal sector

Executive Chairman, FIRS, Muhammad Nami, unveils MATAN identity card at the stakeholder engagement meeting with Market Traders Association of Nigeria (MATAN) Wednesday in Lagos.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has partnered with the Market Traders Association of Nigeria (MATAN) to collect and remit Value Added Tax (VAT) to the FIRS from the country’s markets, especially in the informal sector.

The Association which has a membership of well over 40 million traders across the country’s 774 local governments, and 36 States plus the Federal Capital Territory is the biggest player in Nigeria’s market space.

Special Assistant Media & Communication to the FIRS Executive Chairman, Johannes Oluwatobi Wojuola, in a statement said details of the FIRS’ partnership with the traders were disclosed Wednesday at a Stakeholders Engagement Programme on the VAT DIRECT Initiative, held in Lagos State.

The partnership will see the Service collaborating with the association to deploy technology to enumerate traders for collecting and remitting VAT to the Service, consequently leading to an expansion of the tax net and increased revenue for the Federation.

The VAT DIRECT Initiative (VDI) is a program designed to foster collaboration between the FIRS and the market place, especially the informal sector, in the collection and remittance of the Value Added Tax (VAT) using technology.

Speaking during the Stakeholder Engagement, Executive Chairman FIRS Mr. Muhammad Nami, highlighted that the initiative was the first of its kind, and that it was crucial to revenue generation and also to eliminating multiple taxation, especially from the informal sector.

Nami, who is also the Chairman of the Joint Tax Board (JTB) further stated that the government is worried about the multiplicity of taxes, and that the Service and JTB were working on various modalities of addressing this challenge and that this partnership has laid a very good foundation for the government to address the issue of multiple taxation and extortion by tax officials, tax agents and touts in the market place.

He further noted that the Service would collaborate with security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police, to deal with illegal tax collection by touts in markets.

“One important area of our collaboration is the issue of providing adequate security in the markets. We are aware of the challenges that you have faced in the past with miscreants, self-imposed tax collection agents, and touts.

“I want to assure you that as part of this initiative, we will be collaborating with the relevant security agencies particularly the Nigeria Police Force to tackle all forms of touting and illegal tax collection by miscreants and keep them away from your markets.”

Mr. Nami further noted that the success of this collaboration would lead to increased revenue for the country, and in turn provide government the needed resources to fund infrastructure and other social amenities.

“The successful outcome of this collaboration and additional revenue accruable will have multiplier effects on all sectors of the economy as the government will have more revenue to provide the needed social amenities and infrastructure in critical sectors.

“An improved VAT collection will improve the revenue base of the States and Local Governments at the sub-national level and the citizens will be the ultimate beneficiaries.

“This initiative is very important to the government, particularly at this moment of dwindling revenues from the petroleum sector and therefore, requires that we put all hands on deck and optimally explore all available opportunities.

“The administration of VAT in the informal sector is characterized mainly by a low level of compliance and a lack of awareness in terms of obligation and liability. It, therefore, becomes necessary to leverage the MATAN platform to positively change the status quo,” Mr. Nami stated.

He also noted that to ensure transparency and accountability of the project operations, a combined monitoring and evaluation team comprising both organisations would be formed.

During the Stakeholder Engagement, the Executive Chairman, FIRS also unveiled an Identity Card that is to be given to each trader upon enumeration; the card contains their tax identification number and other personal details.

The VAT Direct Initiative Stakeholder Engagement was attended by the Secretary of the Joint Tax Board, representatives from Deposit Money Banks, Iyalojas of markets across the country, members of various trade clusters, representatives from all major markets across the country, as well as officers of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

06/22/2023
FG ready to tackle rejection of agric exports– NQC

Plans are on course by the Federal Government to address the constant rejection of Nigeria’s agricultural products at the international market.

Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Quality Council (NQC), Osita Aboloma, who stated this Thursday in Abuja, explained that with the establishment of the National Quality Council (NQC), measures to promote enhanced development, harmonization and rationalization of Nigeria’s Quality Infrastructure have been put in place.

Aboloma said the various legs of the quality infrastructure, namely standards development, metrology, conformity assessment and accreditation require urgent harmonization and rationalization have been put in place.

These measures, according to the NQC helmsman, would ensure cost effectiveness and efficiency in support of the acceptance of Nigeria’s export products around the world.

He said sanitary and phytosanitary requirements are some of the key issues that need to be addressed to avoid constant rejects.

The SPS requirements include quarantine and biosecurity measures applied to protect human, animal and plant life or health risks arising from the introduction, establishment and spread of pests, diseases as well as from the use of additives, toxins and contaminants in food and feed.

He stressed the need for greater synergy amongst organizations and institutions in the public and private sectors, hosting the National Quality Infrastructure as well as greater awareness creation for operators along the export value chain.

06/22/2023
Ikpokiri Free Trade Zone: OGFZA seeks partnership with Rivers govt

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), Sen. Tijjani Y. Kaura has sought the collaboration of the Rivers State government to develop the Ikpokiri island, a green field.

According to a statement by the Head of Corporate Communications of the agency, Golda Ukomadu Thursday in Abuja, Kaura made the appeal during a visit to Rivers State Governor, Sir, Siminalayi Fubara, at the Government House, Port Harcourt Wednesday.

The OGFZA MD said According to Sen. Kaura, urged the Rivers government to partner with OGFZA towards the development of Ikpokiri Island as it is critical and beneficial to promote investment and economic development in order to create wealth and employment opportunities for Rivers State and Nigeria by extension.

He said “if the state government would take advantage of the area to support OGFZA in the development effort, Ikpokiri would become another modern city in the State”.

He disclosed that foreign investors from Japan have already indicated interest in investing in the island.

Ikpokiri was declared a free zone in 1996.

The Governor assured the Authority of the State’s willingness to partner with it to develp the green field.

06/22/2023
Shettima advocates creation of Nigeria-UK Bi-National Commission

Vice President Kashim Shettima has advocated for creation of the Nigeria-UK Bi-National Commission to strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr. Olusola Abiola, Director, Information, Office of the Vice President and made available to newsmen in Abuja.

Shettima made this known when he received the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery on a courtesy call at the presidential villa.

The Vice president said that Nigeria and UK had a long-standing historical relationship, business activities and shared common interests, which has led to the exceptional cordial relationship between the two nations.

He lauded the British government for its regular support and assistance to Nigeria while expressing hope for more robust business relations ahead.

“I will urge you to facilitate the setting up of the Nigeria-UK Binational Commission. The Bi-national Commission can be the driver for accelerating enhanced business relationships between our two countries.

“We need to ramp up the trade between our two nations taking into cognizance of our proximity and the long lasting relationship.

“There is no nation that we are close to than the UK and our trade represent less than five per cent of the volume of our import and export,” Shettima said.

He said that the Federal Government was committed to creating an enabling environment for business activities to flourish in the country.

The VP underscored the need for economic reforms in order to position the country’s economy for growth in order to march the recent removal of fuel subsidies.

“This is just the beginning because it was a fait accompli to withdraw the fuel subsidy.

“We either get rid of the fuel subsidy or the fuel subsidy get rid of the Nigerian nation.

“In 2012, we spent 10 billion dollars on fuel subsidy alone.

“Last month, we were purportedly consuming 67 million litres per day, but after the removal of the subsidy, it drops to 41 million litres per day, nearly four per cent off.

” So the whole subsidy regime was opaque, ridden with a lot of inconsistencies.”

He said that the previous multiple exchange rate regime with a lot of corruption brought about the proliferation of many schemes.

He said that the government had no other option but to collapse the exchange rate regimes into one.

“In the coming weeks and months, we are going to make more pronouncements on how to reposition the Nigerian economy and make it vibrant for business,” he said.

He spoke on the role of the private sector in driving economic growth.

According to him, Lagos is booming fundamentally because of the private sector but not because of government as the government has created the avenue for businesses to thrive.

In efforts to find a lasting solution to the security challenges in the country, Shettima stated that there was a need for both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches toward addressing the problems.

In his remarks, Montgomery commended the new administration’s proactive economic policies, especially the reforms.

He lauded the long-standing relationship and cooperation with Nigeria, especially in areas of trade and investment, security and defence, digital technology, and education.

He assured the willingness of the UK government in partnering closely with Nigeria towards achieving the overall development of the nation.

06/22/2023
Nigerians to pay more for petrol as ex-depot price hits N490/litre

As the ex-depot prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), rises to N490 per litre, some independent fuel marketers in Lagos are already selling the product at prices higher than the fixed rate of N488 per litre.

According to unconfirmed reports, while the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited depot sells to major marketers at N466.52 per litre, private depots are however selling at N490 per litre.

NNPCL stations are selling fuel at the fixed rate of N488 per litre, while major marketers sell fuel between N488 and N492 per litre. Independent marketers who purchase from private depots at N490 per litre are selling fuel to consumers at prices above N500 per litre.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his inauguration speech declared that the controversial petroleum subsidy regime was gone. He said rather the funds saved from the subsidies would be channeled to other critical areas.

The federal government for several decades, subsidised fuel and fixed retail prices of petroleum products. The payment has, however, threatened the nation’s fiscal position and impacted the government’s ability to fund developmental projects across the country.

06/22/2023